– Enhancing choice and competition in the Québec
television market –
– French-language content teams bolstered with new appointments
–
MONTRÉAL, May 15, 2020 /CNW
Telbec/ - Bell welcomes French-language conventional TV
network V and the ad-supported VOD service Noovo.ca to its Bell
Media division with the completion of their acquisition from Groupe
V Média today. The acquisition strengthens choice for TV viewers in
Québec while enhancing investment in French-language content
creation.
"The addition of the V team to Bell's broad range of media
properties is key to our strategic imperative to deliver the most
compelling content to our customers everywhere," said Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE and
Bell Canada. "Bell Media has the
commitment and resources to invest in French-language content
necessary to take V forward, and to bring much-needed consumer
choice and competition to Québec's television sector."
Karine Moses, President, Bell
Media Québec and Bell's Vice Chair, Québec, leads the
Montréal-based team responsible for the day-to-day operations of V
and Noovo.ca.
"We are thrilled to add the first French-language conventional
TV network to our portfolio, providing Québec viewers with expanded
opportunities for news and entertainment programming on all
platforms," said Moses. "We are committed to broadening
relationships with viewers, local independent producers, and
advertisers. Today is only the beginning, and we look forward to
the many more exciting developments to come."
The acquisition of V underscores Bell Media's commitment to
increase the production of original local content in Québec, and
aligns with the reorganization of the company's French-language
original programming teams under Suzane
Landry, Vice-President, French-Language Content
Development and Programming.
Landry announced today the appointment of Mélanie Bhérer
as General Manager, Variety, Lifestyle, and Documentary, and
Sophie Parizeau as General
Manager, Fiction and Digital Content. Bell Media also welcomes V's
Brigitte Vincent as General
Manager, Programming Strategies, Acquisitions and
Commercialization. All these appointments are effective
immediately.
"Mélanie, Sophie, and Brigitte are industry veterans with
remarkable experience and credited for their strong instincts and
passion for high-quality content," said Landry, "I am confident
that with these strong leaders and a renewed spirit of industry
collaboration and creativity, we are well-positioned to bring
Québecers even more exceptional content across all platforms."
V Média owns and operates television stations in Montréal,
Québec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke,
and Trois-Rivières, and has affiliate stations in Gatineau, Rivière-du-Loup and Val-d'Or. Noovo.ca is an ad-supported VOD
service allows viewers to get the latest entertainment from V
including unique video, access to stars, and blog posts.
About Bell Media Québec
Bell Media is a leading
content creation company with premier assets in Québec in
television, radio, digital media, out-of-home, and more. Bell Media
operates a number of French-language TV services in Québec
including the V conventional network (with five corporate-owned
local stations and three network affiliates), as well as eight
specialty and pay TV services - Canal D, Canal Vie, Z, VRAK,
Investigation, SUPER ÉCRAN, Cinépop, and RDS, Québec's #1 sports
channel. Bell Media currently has three of the Top 5 most-watched
shows on French Entertainment Specialty in key demos, including six
of the Top 10 original productions. Bell Media also operates CTV
Montreal (the #1 English news outlet in Québec), and develops and
operates websites, apps, and online platforms for its news, sports,
and entertainment brands, including RDS Direct and Noovo.ca. Bell
Media owns Crave, the only Canadian bilingual video streaming
service, offering more than 6,000 hours of exclusive
French-language content. Bell Media is Québec's leading radio
broadcaster, with 25 stations in 14 communities, all part of the
iHeartRadio Canada brand and streaming service. Bell Media owns
Montréal-based Astral, an out-of-home advertising network of 50,000
faces in five provinces. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE:
BCE), Canada's largest communications company.
Learn more at BellMedia.ca.
About Bell
Canada's largest communications company
with more than 22 million consumer and business connections, Bell
provides advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business
communication services throughout the country. Bell Media is
Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in
television, radio, out of home and digital media. Founded in
Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE:
BCE). To learn more, please
visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health
with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's
Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access,
research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the
country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
For more information:
Caroline Audet
514 391-9794
caroline.audet@bell.ca
Investor inquiries:
Thane Fotopoulos
514 870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada